How to Shoot Pictures of Race Cars

[@Austin-Healey-North-Wales]

As a pro-am motorsport photographer I am usually disappointed when I watch instructional like this one, however this chap knows what he is talking about. Excellent advice and I definately endorse his advice. Well done.

[@invader_viv]

Ahh one of my most heart felt lessons attempting motorsport photography, its forgetting to eat/bring snacks 🥲

[@mattah]

You don't use an ND filter sometimes for the tracking shots? Allows you to shoot wide open with slow shutter speeds. Amazing results.

[@clcphoto]

Nice video! Lots of helpful tips--the disappearing fence was something I hadn't considered before.

[@richard_price]

Probably the best motorsports photography tutorial video. Simple and informative. Thanks

[@tcparker2]

Very helpful tips, the invisible fence trick is super cool.

[@Gign_soft]

Thank you sir, today I went to Sebring to watch/shoot my first motorsports event and I’m so glad I found your video before going. I’ve never done any panning shots before so was super nervous, but your video helped out so much w/ the proper settings, shutter speed, and even the b&w idea. Thanks for helping me make this experience sm better than it would’ve been w/ all out of focus shots

[@vonkeller3651]

shooting my first rally race this weekend this video was super helpful. I'm use to shooting high speed human action so im excited to try this out with cars

[@heznenky]

WOW MAN! Thanks a lot, your way of explaining, the quality and the simplicity of your examples it's fascinating. Thank you, Nicholas!

[@NikCan66]

This was exceptional well done and very educational for people that might be newbies to motorsports and even for more experienced people its a great refresher

[@jeffreyrussell4991]

Awesome video. I shot my first race over the weekend and ended up getting a few good shots. Watching this video beforehand would have helped a bunch.

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

Welcome to the club, though! That first race is so stressful but so much fun

[@donwest1869]

Nice tips. Been shooting cars for a while in Monterey California. I mostly go shutter priority, and strive for the blur we’re looking for. I’ve some nice Indycar shots, and having the drivers sign their cars is an added plus.

[@samirshah5411]

very useful video!! I’m taking my eight-year-old son to our first F1 race in Miami this weekend hoping to get some decent shots.

[@idt369]

Your videos are so good and informative - so excited to see your channel grow!

[@matthiasice]

I shot a little race car meetup(not a hired job or anything) with a parking lot cone track the other weekend and learned how much I didn't know about the AF capabilities of my camera. I shot the entire thing MF and knew I only had about a 3 shot window to get my pan correct. Out of 500 photos I think I came out with 5 that I liked. I've been experimenting with my Lock on AF and back button focus at home and I'm going to try it out this weekend at the next event. Should be able to lock on to cars a little bit better and give myself a bigger window. My experiment is to sit in my rolling chair and push away and towards my dog laying on his bed. I've figured out that it can successfully focus between each shot at high burst in both lock-on and the AFC (with back button). I think lock-on is slightly better at it though. I'm shooting with a 10 year old a6000, which isn't ideal for this, but it's still surprisingly capable. Can do 10fps in RAW, which is, shockingly, the same as the newer A7R cameras...but those are pushing triple the resolution...so makes sense. Where it suffers is the buffer at about 24 shots in RAW before the continuous shooting slows down (newer a7R cameras are 500+). Might have to limit myself to medium speed to get a longer sustained burst. Would it be advantageous to get an ND filter to slow down the shutter speed and keep the aperture a little more open? My guess would be it doesn't matter since we're creating motion blur, not bokeh.

[@charliejg]

Thanks for all of the tips!! I'm going to Six Hours at the Glen in June and this video was a very nice find! I don't own a really long lens yet, but was thinking about renting one. Although, at the Glen there are quite a lot of good spot you can access for shooting. I was there last year and really had fun. Thanks again!!

[@kinsersprint11]

I shot auto races from 1990 till 2022 when i retired and i do mostly concerts and other social events but i dont regret it

[@josemariamartinez3427]

Deserve more views, im a beginner and this tips have helped me. Perfectly explained. Thx

[@mediaflmcreation]

My snack from yesterdays shoot... Bugles Ranch and Bugles Nacho cheese flavor, 3 waters and had those flavor packs and one treat soda. I'm a 5.6 sugar level so I try to avoid sugars but i have a reeses cup LOL. I wish I can get into a REAL event but i needed this (have to pay for media pass) work in order to build

[@vcuteverything]

Thanks for this video. It was a great help for me on catching that motion!

[@jordanwhisson5407]

Rare to find the kind of information I'm looking for well done

[@jonmassengale4878]

Great video thanks

[@joaoalmeida1441]

Man that awsome acura 10’with albuquerque at the wheel can you possible share that?

[@Esleiman]

This is the video that I need it !

[@StackedONval]

Hey thanks for all the tips l, I am going to my first race in October and I'm just wondering when I should contact them about the media pass

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

I don’t think there’s any such thing as too early. They’ll have a book of some sort, so if they respond about it this early, it’ll be great! Start with an email

[@925riv]

Man this was super helpful. Thank you.

[@williamreedy338]

Excellent video

[@ShanewithanS]

Is there an equivalent AF mode on Canon cameras to Single Point Tracking: Spot on Nikon cameras? I believe you can set EYE-AF to follow vehicles but I'm not quite sure if you can set it to track via spot?

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

I’ve actually never taken a picture with a Canon camera before! Definitely nothing against them, I just started with a Nikon, upgraded to a bigger Nikon and then found Sony autofocus and was mesmerized!! I honestly can’t imagine event photography without that tracking point, it is SO useful.

[@Kratofl]

I heard some 72 Seasons at the end 😉

[@visualsofsamuel]

I have an APSC camera (Sony a6700) I feel like I might have a tough time finding a lens that zooms enough for some of these shots Great video but the way, Nick

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

You can use all the same lenses on an APSC camera that you can on a full frame camera. Full frame lenses work 100%. It's the other way around that you run into problems.

[@visualsofsamuel]

@@NicholasJamesJohnson no, really? I never knew this

[@visualsofsamuel]

@@NicholasJamesJohnson so I could buy a full frame lens and mount it to my Sony if it had an FE Mount

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

@@visualsofsamuel Yes, you can use ANY Sony e-mount lens, any full frame lens and any APSC lens on your Sony a6700. I am 100% clear on that.

[@visualsofsamuel]

@@NicholasJamesJohnson I have no idea how I wasn’t aware of this before, but thank you very much

[@matty-media]

Great video

[@mrequivalent2703]

Hello, the lens canon EF 70-300mm usd II , is good for mororsport picture ?

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

Yes, absolutely.

[@mvp_kryptonite]

Nice!

[@greg2142]

One question, when panning do you turn off your lens stabilization? I feel like that could cause some issues.

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

So that depends on the lens. For instance, the Sony 70-200 lens has a special stabilization mode where it only stabilizes up and down motion, while NOT stabilizing side to side motion, and thats specifically for panning so youre in charge of the side to side in the pan, but it will help to not have motion going up and down. But with a lens that doesnt have that, yeah I think it would be smartest to turn it off.

[@greg2142]

@@NicholasJamesJohnson Do you know much about the 100-400 GM? That is what I currently use, turned to mode 2 but with stab off. Thank you so much for your response!

[@missioncapri]

Awesome video, love the head on shots. Not one you see often, looks great! will definitely give it a go!

[@jason_shootscars]

This is all I’m trying to do in life

[@elvarotw6805]

Nice video, clean your sensor btw

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

Hahaha, will do! Im pretty cavalier with my lenses - unfortunately.

[@Randolph_]

I'm having a bit of a hard time getting the car in focus when it heads towards where I'm shooting, but at an angle, not dead straight. Usually my shutter is between 640 to 600 with an aperture between 8 to 11, even higher than that if need be. My focus mode is in tracking, and i use a monopod and a cheap 55-250 which basically is an extension of the kit lens. Yet my shots have out of focus lead car. I hope you can visualize what I've just said. Sorry for bad english

[@jxrdnz]

Hey ik that Vett lol good ole champcar

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

Haha, right!? That black vette had a bigger weekend tire budget than I think I paid for my last car!

[@Weyco23]

Holy crap, your sensors are a mess.

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

Oh yeah; it was shortly after this video I took my cameras in to have a professional cleaning. My home cleaning jobs were apparently not good enough! I believe the dusty, grassy, smokey, debris filled air of a race course is a pretty bad environment to be hot swapping lenses all day!!

[@Weyco23]

@@NicholasJamesJohnson Happily the Z9 has the sensor cover. I shoot motorsports and aviation, but my sensors have never been this bad.

[@NicholasJamesJohnson]

@@Weyco23 Yeah, my a7IV keeps the shutter closed when it's off- but thats the only Sony camera Ive owned that does that. Seems like that would be a good idea to be standard. Oh well. Lightroom to the rescue.